第 27 页

"A lie."

"How so?"

"You promised me twelve hours."

"Ah, yes, but here comes to you an aide-de-camp of hisHighness, even one of his most intimate companions VanDeken. Zounds! they did not grant such an honour to poorMathias."

"Come, come!" said Cornelius, drawing a long breath. "Come,I'll show to these people that an honest burgher, godson ofCornelius de Witt, can without flinching receive as manymusket-balls as that Mathias."

Saying this, he passed proudly before the clerk, who, beinginterrupted in his work, ventured to say to the officer, --

"But, Captain van Deken, the protocol is not yet finished."

"It is not worth while finishing it," answered the officer.

"All right," replied the clerk, philosophically putting uphis paper and pen into a greasy and well-worn writing-case.

"It was written," thought poor Cornelius, "that I should notin this world give my name either to a child to a flower, orto a book, -- the three things by which a man's memory isperpetuated."

Repressing his melancholy thoughts, he followed the officerwith a resolute heart, and carrying his head erect.

Cornelius counted the steps which led to the Esplanade,regretting that he had not asked the guard how many therewere of them, which the man, in his official complaisance,would not have failed to tell him.

What the poor prisoner was most afraid of during this walk,which he considered as leading him to the end of the journeyof life, was to see Gryphus and not to see Rosa. What savagesatisfaction would glisten in the eyes of the father, andwhat sorrow dim those of the daughter!

How Gryphus would glory in his punishment! Punishment?Rather savage vengeance for an eminently righteous deed,which Cornelius had the satisfaction of having performed asa bounden duty.

But Rosa, poor girl! must he die without a glimpse of her,without an opportunity to give her one last kiss, or even tosay one last word of farewell?

And, worst of all, must he die without any intelligence ofthe black tulip, and regain his consciousness in heaven withno idea in what direction he should look to find it?

In truth, to restrain his tears at such a crisis the poorwretch's heart must have been encased in more of the aestriplex -- "the triple brass" -- than Horace bestows uponthe sailor who first visited the terrifying Acroceraunianshoals.

In vain did Cornelius look to the right and to the left; hesaw no sign either of Rosa or Gryphus.

On reaching the Esplanade, he bravely looked about for theguards who were to be his executioners, and in reality saw adozen soldiers assembled. But they were not standing inline, or carrying muskets, but talking together so gaylythat Cornelius felt almost shocked.

All at once, Gryphus, limping, staggering, and supportinghimself on a crooked stick, came forth from the jailer'slodge; his old eyes, gray as those of a cat, were lit up bya gleam in which all his hatred was concentrated. He thenbegan to pour forth such a torrent of disgustingimprecations against Cornelius, that the latter, addressingthe officer, said, --

"I do not think it very becoming sir, that I should be thusinsulted by this man, especially at a moment like this."

"Well! hear me," said the officer, laughing, "it is quitenatural that this worthy fellow should bear you a grudge, --you seem to have given it him very soundly."

"But, sir, it was only in self-defence."

"Never mind," said the Captain, shrugging his shoulders likea true philosopher, "let him talk; what does it matter toyou now?"

The cold sweat stood on the brow of Cornelius at thisanswer, which he looked upon somewhat in the light of brutalirony, especially as coming from an officer of whom he hadheard it said that he was attached to the person of thePrince.

The unfortunate tulip-fancier then felt that he had no moreresources, and no more friends, and resigned himself to hisfate.

"God's will be done," he muttered, bowing his head; then,turning towards the officer, who seemed complacently to waituntil he had finished his meditations he asked, --

"Please, sir, tell me now, where am I to go?"

The officer pointed to a carriage, drawn by four horses,which reminded him very strongly of that which, undersimilar circumstances, had before attracted his attention atBuytenhof.

"Enter," said the officer.

"Ah!" muttered Cornelius to himself, "it seems they are notgoing to treat me to the honours of the Esplanade."

He uttered these words loud enough for the chatty guard, whowas at his heels, to overhear him.

That kind soul very likely thought it his duty to giveCornelius some new information; for, approaching the door ofthe carriage, whilst the officer, with one foot on the step,was still giving some orders, he whispered to Van Baerle, --

"Condemned prisoners have sometimes been taken to their owntown to be made an example of, and have then been executedbefore the door of their own house. It's all according tocircumstances."

Cornelius thanked him by signs, and then said to himself, --

"Well, here is a fellow who never misses giving consolationwhenever an opportunity presents itself. In truth, myfriend, I'm very much obliged to you. Goodbye."

The carriage drove away.

"Ah! you villain, you brigand," roared Gryphus, clinchinghis fists at the victim who was escaping from his clutches,"is it not a shame that this fellow gets off without havingrestored my daughter to me?"

"If they take me to Dort," thought Cornelius, "I shall see,in passing my house, whether my poor borders have been muchspoiled."

Chapter 30

Wherein the Reader begins to guess the Kind of Execution thatwas awaiting Van Baerle

The carriage rolled on during the whole day; it passed onthe right of Dort, went through Rotterdam, and reachedDelft. At five o'clock in the evening, at least twentyleagues had been travelled.

Cornelius addressed some questions to the officer, who wasat the same time his guard and his companion; but, cautiousas were his inquiries, he had the disappointment ofreceiving no answer.

Cornelius regretted that he had no longer by his side thechatty soldier, who would talk without being questioned.

That obliging person would undoubtedly have given him aspleasant details and exact explanations concerning thisthird strange part of his adventures as he had doneconcerning the first two.

The travellers passed the night in the carriage. On thefollowing morning at dawn Cornelius found himself beyondLeyden, having the North Sea on his left, and the Zuyder Zeeon his right.

Three hours after, he entered Haarlem.

Cornelius was not aware of what had passed at Haarlem, andwe shall leave him in ignorance of it until the course ofevents enlightens him.

But the reader has a right to know all about it even beforeour hero, and therefore we shall not make him wait.

We have seen that Rosa and the tulip, like two orphansisters, had been left by Prince William of Orange at thehouse of the President van Systens.

Rosa did not hear again from the Stadtholder until theevening of that day on which she had seen him face to face.

Toward evening, an officer called at Van Systen's house. Hecame from his Highness, with a request for Rosa to appear atthe Town Hall.

There, in the large Council Room into which she was ushered,she found the Prince writing.

He was alone, with a large Frisian greyhound at his feet,which looked at him with a steady glance, as if the faithfulanimal were wishing to do what no man could do, -- read thethoughts of his master in his face.

William continued his writing for a moment; then, raisinghis eyes, and seeing Rosa standing near the door, he said,without laying down his pen, --

"Come here, my child."

Rosa advanced a few steps towards the table.

"Sit down," he said.

Rosa obeyed, for the Prince was fixing his eyes upon her,but he had scarcely turned them again to his paper when shebashfully retired to the door.

The Prince finished his letter.

During this time, the greyhound went up to Rosa, surveyedher and began to caress her.

"Ah, ah!" said William to his dog, "it's easy to see thatshe is a countrywoman of yours, and that you recognise her."

Then, turning towards Rosa, and fixing on her hisscrutinising, and at the same time impenetrable glance, hesaid, --

"Now, my child."

The Prince was scarcely twenty-three, and Rosa eighteen ortwenty. He might therefore perhaps better have said, Mysister.

"My child," he said, with that strangely commanding accentwhich chilled all those who approached him, "we are alone;let us speak together."

Rosa began to tremble, and yet there was nothing butkindness in the expression of the Prince's face.

"Monseigneur," she stammered.

"You have a father at Loewestein?"

"Yes, your Highness."

"You do not love him?"

"I do not; at least, not as a daughter ought to do,Monseigneur."

"It is not right not to love one's father, but it is rightnot to tell a falsehood."

Rosa cast her eyes to the ground.

"What is the reason of your not loving your father?"

"He is wicked."

"In what way does he show his wickedness?"

"He ill-treats the prisoners."

"All of them?"

"All."

"But don't you bear him a grudge for ill-treating some onein particular?"

"My father ill-treats in particular Mynheer van Baerle, who---- "

"Who is your lover?"

Rosa started back a step.

"Whom I love, Monseigneur," she answered proudly.

"Since when?" asked the Prince.

"Since the day when I first saw him."

"And when was that?"

"The day after that on which the Grand Pensionary John andhis brother Cornelius met with such an awful death."

The Prince compressed his lips, and knit his brow and hiseyelids dropped so as to hide his eyes for an instant. Aftera momentary silence, he resumed the conversation.

"But to what can it lead to love a man who is doomed to liveand die in prison?"

"It will lead, if he lives and dies in prison, to my aidinghim in life and in death."

"And would you accept the lot of being the wife of aprisoner?"

"As the wife of Mynheer van Baerle, I should, under anycircumstances, be the proudest and happiest woman in theworld; but ---- "

"But what?"

"I dare not say, Monseigneur."

"There is something like hope in your tone; what do youhope?"

She raised her moist and beautiful eyes, and looked atWilliam with a glance full of meaning, which was calculatedto stir up in the recesses of his heart the clemency whichwas slumbering there.

"Ah, I understand you," he said.

Rosa, with a smile, clasped her hands.

"You hope in me?" said the Prince.

"Yes, Monseigneur."

"Umph!"

The Prince sealed the letter which he had just written, andsummoned one of his officers, to whom he said, --

"Captain van Deken, carry this despatch to Loewestein; youwill read the orders which I give to the Governor, andexecute them as far as they regard you."

The officer bowed, and a few minutes afterwards the gallopof a horse was heard resounding in the vaulted archway.

"My child," continued the Prince, "the feast of the tulipwill be on Sunday next, that is to say, the day afterto-morrow. Make yourself smart with these five hundredguilders, as I wish that day to be a great day for you."

"How does your Highness wish me to be dressed?" falteredRosa.

"Take the costume of a Frisian bride." said William; "itwill suit you very well indeed."

Chapter 31

Haarlem

Haarlem, whither, three days ago, we conducted our gentlereader, and whither we request him to follow us once more inthe footsteps of the prisoner, is a pleasant city, whichjustly prides itself on being one of the most shady in allthe Netherlands.

While other towns boast of the magnificence of theirarsenals and dock-yards, and the splendour of their shopsand markets, Haarlem's claims to fame rest upon hersuperiority to all other provincial cities in the number andbeauty of her spreading elms, graceful poplars, and, morethan all, upon her pleasant walks, shaded by the lovelyarches of magnificent oaks, lindens, and chestnuts.

Haarlem, -- just as her neighbour, Leyden, became the centreof science, and her queen, Amsterdam, that of commerce, --Haarlem preferred to be the agricultural, or, more strictlyspeaking, the horticultural metropolis.

In fact, girt about as she was, breezy and exposed to thesun's hot rays, she seemed to offer to gardeners so manymore guarantees of success than other places, with theirheavy sea air, and their scorching heat.

On this account all the serene souls who loved the earth andits fruits had gradually gathered together at Haarlem, justas all the nervous, uneasy spirits, whose ambition was fortravel and commerce, had settled in Rotterdam and Amsterdam,and all the politicians and selfish worldlings at the Hague.

We have observed that Leyden overflowed with scholars. Inlike manner Haarlem was devoted to the gentle pursuits ofpeace, -- to music and painting, orchards and avenues,groves and parks. Haarlem went wild about flowers, andtulips received their full share of worship.

Haarlem offered prizes for tulip-growing; and this factbrings us in the most natural manner to that celebrationwhich the city intended to hold on May 15th, 1673 in honourof the great black tulip, immaculate and perfect, whichshould gain for its discoverer one hundred thousandguilders!

Haarlem, having placed on exhibition its favourite, havingadvertised its love of flowers in general and of tulips inparticular, at a period when the souls of men were filledwith war and sedition, -- Haarlem, having enjoyed theexquisite pleasure of admiring the very purest ideal oftulips in full bloom, -- Haarlem, this tiny town, full oftrees and of sunshine, of light and shade, had determinedthat the ceremony of bestowing the prize should be a fetewhich should live for ever in the memory of men.

So much the more reason was there, too, in herdetermination, in that Holland is the home of fetes; neverdid sluggish natures manifest more eager energy of thesinging and dancing sort than those of the good republicansof the Seven Provinces when amusement was the order of theday.